by KSY
The Combat Arena was pin-drop silent after Ryan released the Baleful aura, as Taboo Martial Artists are objects of fear and most people avoid them. Everyone was intently watching Ryan, but for some reason, they could tell that Ryan was different. They could see intelligence in his eyes. Oscar and Emilia sighed with relief – they were certain now that Ryan was a Stable Taboo Martial Artist. It would have been their worst nightmare if Ryan had not been a Stable Taboo Martial Artist.
Ryan stopped in his path as four men appeared next to Barton. All of them looked at Ryan with cold and murderous intent. One of them gave Barton first aid to stabilize his condition. Ryan stopped releasing Baleful aura as Aaric and other Elders appeared beside him. The Baleful aura that had previously enveloped the ring dispersed following that. Aaric and the other Elders were able to tell that Ryan was a Stable Taboo Martial Artist, as a Taboo Martial Artist would have been unable to calm down on his own.
“Aaric, lets us deal with that evil thing before he hurts someone,” a Martial Artist from the Rook Family Clan said.
“You also know that he is a Stable Taboo Martial Artist. You just want to deal with him, because the young Master of your family was unable to do so,” an Elder of Divine Martial Sect said in a mocking voice.
“Aaric, don’t make a fuss. Quietly hand over the boy. He will have to pay the price for offending my Rook Family Clan,” a calm voice resounded in the Combat Arena, as a man descended slowly from the sky. Aaric and company had changes in their facial expressions upon seeing this man. He wore white robes and had an otherworldly aura around him. This man was called Aaron. He was an Immortal Realm Martial Artist from the Rook Family Clan.
The people that had come to Barton’s assistance smiled upon seeing Aaron making a move. They were now certain that Aaric wouldn’t be able to refuse their request, and even if he did, they could still kill the boy with Aaron’s help. Ryan’s dying would be beneficial for their Rook Family Clan.
“Ryan is a disciple of my Divine Martial Sect. You can’t violate the agreement that exists between our factions. According to that agreement, none of the members of the Senior generations from either faction can kill disciples from the other side. If you violate that agreement, then your Rook Family Clan will have to face the consequences,” Aaric said as he stood in front of Ryan.
The other Elders of the Divine Martial Sect followed suit. Even though Aaric threatened Aaron, he knew better than anyone else that if Aaron wished to kill Ryan, then he would be unable to do anything. Aaric was still in the Mortal Saint Realm, just a step away from the Immortal Realm, while Aaron was already an Immortal Elite Realm Martial Artist. The difference between their strengths and powers was too high, given that Aaron was in the Immortal Realm while Aaric was in still in the Mortal Realm.
“This boy has yet to enter the Divine Martial Sect. Aaric, if you don’t hand him over then I will take him by force,” Aaron said, as he slowly walked towards Ryan and the Elders of the Divine Martial Sect.
Aaric cursed his luck for coming across a lunatic like Aaron who had no intention of honoring the agreement between their factions. Just as Aaric was thinking of sending an SOS to the Divine Martial Sect for help, a voice boomed throughout the arena.
“You sure have balls to harm my Grandson in my presence,” a calm voice resounded in the Combat Arena and make it shake violently. It felt as if an earthquake had occurred and its epicenter was just below the Combat Arena.
Everyone’s expressions changed, including those of Aaron and the Elders of the Divine Martial Sect. They looked at Ryan who had a nervous expression on his face. A terrifying pressure enveloped Aaron from all sides soon afterwards and slowly started to crush him.
“Arghhhhh!” Aaron howled in pain.
Ryan had never expected that his family would get wind of his duel with Barton. Generally, his family never interacted with the people of Hope City and his home was on the outskirts of Hope City. So, he’d never expected that his family would come to know about the duel. If he’d known that, he wouldn’t have released his Baleful aura. He wished to smash his head on the ground in frustration at that moment.
“Ryan, don’t worry. I have a plan,” Yama said, as he was shrouded in Unholy black light inside the black side of Ryan’s Soul World. His appearance had started to change. Ryan sensed changes happening to Yama, and when he sent his consciousness into his Soul World, he found that Yama was transforming into another being.
“You need to hide the fact that you possess an Asura Martial Spirit. It would create unnecessary problems for you. The fact that you are a Stable Taboo Martial Artist is not a big deal, but your possession of a Asura Martial Spirit is. No child ever survives after awakening its Asura Martial Spirit, as the powerful Baleful aura of the Asura Martial Spirit just destroys the child’s soul,” Yama insisted.
“Many people would try to harm you if they came to know about that fact. Some might turn you into a lab rat, so it’s in the best interests of everyone to keep this a secret,” Yama said as he completed his transformation. Ryan nodded his head. What Yama said was true, and it was also one of the reasons he’d been apprehensive about telling his family about Yama. He had never heard of anyone possessing an Asura Martial Spirit.
Yama had turned into a black dragon with red eyes. His draconic form had a long neck, four legs, two wings on his back and a long spiky tail. He looked quite like European dragons. His body was covered in spikes and he had a ferocious looking expression on his face.
“When did you learn to do this and what dragon species have you transformed into? I have never seen such a dragon among the books in the library,” Ryan asked with amazement, as he’d never heard of Martial Spirits changing their shapes.
“I’ve had the ability to transform into other beings since the start, but never had the need to use it, as you had no intention of conjuring me in the real world. The dragon species into which I have transformed is called an Asura Dragon. They are the only beings in the Universe whose aura is similar to that of an Asura. This will make it easier for you to cover up your lies,” Yama said with a laugh.
Ryan was angry with Yama for not telling him about this ability of his, but Yama was also right to some extent. He’d had no intention of conjuring him in front of his family earlier on, but now he had no choice – he would have to conjure him in front of his family. Ryan then left his Soul World.
Aaron’s condition was deteriorating with each passing second. The pressure that enveloped him was increasing with each passing minute.
An amulet hanging around his neck turned into dust. This amulet was meant for sending an SOS back to his Family Clan during life and death situations.
“Please save me. An Ancestor Level figure wishes to kill me,” Aaron sent a short message to his Family Clan, but the message shook the entire Rook Family Clan. Aaron cursed his luck and wanted to kill Barton for messing with a guy with an unknown background. He just hoped that Ryan’s background was not stronger than his, otherwise he was as good as dead.
A few Ancestor Level Martial Artists of the Rook Family Clan immediately rushed to Hope City to save Aaron, who had a very high potential. He could easily become an Ancestor Level Martial Artist in the future, so it would be a big loss to the Rook Family Clan if he died. They used a Teleportation scroll to immediately open a portal for teleporting to Hope City. The moment they entered the portal, they appeared in Hope City and directly rushed towards the Combat Arena.
Ch7
The Ancestor Level Martial Artists of the Rook Family Clan quickly appeared up in the sky above the Combat Arena. They had sudden changes in their expressions when they saw Aaron’s condition. He was shrieking in pain. Blood was flowing from his eyes, nose and ears.
“Sir, please be a little merciful on this youngster of my Family Clan,” an Ancestor Level Martial Artist said in a humble tone. He didn’t dare using force to save Aaron as the Ancestor Level Martial Artist who’d enveloped Aaron in powerful pressure could kill him with a single thought.
Aaron would be dead even before he was able to do anything to save him.
“Boris, it’s been quite a while since I last saw you. This youngster of your Family Clan is quite bold. He tried to kill my grandson,” Oscar said as he appeared in the sky above the Combat Arena. He stood face to face with the Ancestor Level Martial Artists from the Rook Family Clan. Their facial expressions underwent severe changes upon seeing Oscar.
“Lord Oscar!!!” Boris was shocked to see Oscar appear out of thin air. He’d never dreamt, even in his worst dreams, that Oscar, who’d been missing for the past two decades, would suddenly appear in front of him. The reactions of the other Ancestor Level Martial Artists from the Rook Family Clan were no different. They wanted to go and beat Aaron senseless for his actions, as even they wouldn’t dare to make a move on Oscar’s grandson.
“Lord Oscar, I never thought that I would get to meet you here,” Boris said in a humble tone. He didn’t dare to be arrogant in front of Oscar. Otherwise, they were all as good as dead.
“Yes, life is too unpredictable,” Oscar said with a smile. The pressure that enveloped Aaron, increased by a level. Aaron howled in pain.
“Lord Oscar, please let Aaron go. He is my only grandchild. I will definitely discipline him,” Boris pleaded with Oscar, as he knew that if this went on, then Aaron was sure to die.
“OK, I will let this grandson of yours off the hook this time, but make sure you discipline him well. Tell him how dangerous it is to mess with someone without investigating them,” Oscar said as the pressure that enveloped Aaron disappeared.
“It seems that becoming a grandfather has made me kind hearted,” Oscar said to himself as he disappeared into thin air. Boris and the other Ancestor Level Martial Artists almost choked to death upon hearing Oscar’s words.
“Bastard! You maimed Aaron like a dog, and yet you have the audacity to call yourself kind,” Boris cursed in his heart, as he didn’t have the guts to curse Oscar out aloud.
Boris and the other Ancestor Level Martial Artists descended into the ring and started giving Aaron first aid. They apologized to Ryan humbly, even though it was Oscar who’d maimed Aaron like a dog. They didn’t dare to show any anger on their faces.
Aaric and company were feeling like they had just awoken from a dream. They looked at Ryan with mixed feelings. He just gave them a wry smile and they sighed. They could guess that Ryan’s background was not as simple as he’d claimed it to be.
“It turns out that this little monster has quite a background,” Aaric said to the other Elders via Mental-message transmission. The other Elders nodded their heads, as they’d come to the same conclusion, after seeing the behavior of the Ancestor Level figures of the Rook Family Clan after meeting Oscar.
Individual strength on Grandura didn’t amount to much in the face of powerful factions. The fact that the Rook Family Clan was being this humble clearly meant that the opposing side’s background was not ordinary. The members of the Rook Family Clan were known for their arrogance, so it was very rare for them to act humbly.
“Elders, I will take my leave,” Ryan said. He still had a wry smile on his face. The Elders nodded their head. Ryan used his Shadow Steps Martial Skill as he raced towards his home. His heart rate increased as he neared it.
By the time Ryan reached his home, his family had already returned from the Combat Arena. He’d rushed home to do some explaining, as he knew his secret was out – it would be best for him to come clean about being a Taboo Martial Artist. He directly went to the estate’s living room, where he found all his family seated with big grins on their faces. It was as if they were waiting for him to come clean.
When Ryan entered the room, Cris said in an excited voice, “Nice punch.” Blake, on the other hand, gave Ryan the thumbs-up. Ryan just gave them a wry smile. It was clear that both Blake and Cris were quite impressed with his punch. It seemed that everyone had gone to the Combat Arena.
“How about coming clean?” Oscar said with a smile.
“I intend to do so,” Ryan said nervously as he took a deep breath.
“My second Martial Spirit is of Death attribute. It is a Taboo Martial Spirit and it is an Asura Dragon,” Ryan said and he was so nervous he said it all in one breath.
“What?!” Emilia and Oscar exclaimed in unison. They were unable to believe what Ryan had just said. Asura Dragon Martial Spirit was not a Normal Taboo Martial Spirit. It was a terrifying Martial Spirit that most of the times took the life of its host. The reason for that was its strong Baleful aura, which is so strong that it destroys the soul of the child when he or she awakes this Martial Spirit in the Awakening Realm. The children that survive grow into killing machines that lack emotions. They’d never heard of a Stable Taboo Martial Artist with Asura Dragon Martial Spirit. Most Stable Taboo Martial Artists possess Taboo Martial Spirits whose Baleful aura are many times weaker than the Baleful aura of the Asura Dragon Martial Spirit.
“Let’s go to the Martial field. We need to see your Martial Spirit,” Oscar said and everyone went to the estate’s Martial field.
Ryan conjured Yama after he and his family reached the Martial field. A five-meter long black dragon with red eyes floated above Ryan. The Dragon had a wingspan of ten meters and looked uncommonly ferocious. Its body was covered in spikes, each of which looked exceptionally vicious. The most notable feature of Yama’s Asura dragon form was its red eyes, and if you looked into them you felt as if you were looking into a bottomless sea of blood.
Yama was shrouded in an aura that was a combination of Death aura and Baleful aura. This aura was red in color with a lot of black streaks and conspicuously vicious and terrifying. It directly attacked the minds of the people that came into contact with it. Ryan made sure that Yama’s Baleful aura didn’t spread a lot as Blake and Cris were also present in the Martial field. His Baleful aura would have no effect on Emilia and Oscar, but that was not the case for Blake and Cris. Ryan recalled Yama to his Soul World after showing him to his family.
Emilia and Oscar had shocked expressions, as the Baleful aura released by Yama was so strong, they were unable to fathom how Ryan was able to withstand it. They were unable to think straight for some time.
“Ryan, do you suffer from the Baleful aura of your Martial Spirit in any way?” Emilia asked Ryan with agitation as she embraced him. She was unable to keep calm.
“No, I have very high resistance towards my Martial Spirit’s Baleful aura and it has never affected me or harmed me in any way,” Ryan told his mother sincerely.
“Why didn’t you tell us about your second Martial Spirit?” Emilia asked Ryan, as she released him from her hug and looked at him questioningly.
“I read in a book that Taboo Martial Artists are not liked by anyone, so ...” Before Ryan could complete his sentence, he was again tightly hugged by Emilia.
“You idiot,” Emilia said as she further tightened her hug. She didn’t release him from her hug for some time. Oscar signaled her to leave with Blake and Cris, as he wished to talk to Ryan in private. Emilia nodded her head as she took both Cris and Blake with her and returned to the living room.
“You sure have a terrifying Martial Spirit. An Asura Dragon is not a Normal being,” Oscar said with a smile.
“I don’t know much about it. I only know what Yama has told me and it is not much,” Ryan said.
“You won’t find information about Asura Dragons easily. It is a high-class dragon species known for its rage and anger. It is a very powerful dragon species and possesses Tyrannical strength which can rival easily the likes of Divine Dragons or Azure Dragons. Pure-blooded Asura Dragons are only found in Divine Worlds. A few descendants of Asura Dragons with mid-grade bloodline purity can be found in a high-grade world like Grandura. There are many Normal Elemental Beasts that possess its bloodline. Once pissed off, it will not stop until it has annihilated its enemy,” Oscar said with a wry smirk.
Ryan was shocked after hearing this description of Asura Dragons. It turned out they were lunatic
s.
“This Martial Spirit is very rare and the child that is born with it is considered appallingly unlucky, as it has only one thing awaiting it – death. The Baleful aura of this Martial Spirit is so strong that the child’s soul gets destroyed, and if he or she survives then the family will put the child down as his or her mind has been broken. It will attack anyone he or she sees.
“You are quite lucky. I have never heard of a Stable Taboo Martial Artist with Asura Dragon Martial Spirit. It must be a blessing from the heavens that you are one,” Oscar said as he gently patted Ryan’s head.
Ryan could tell that his grandfather and mother were both shaken up after seeing Yama in his Asura Dragon form. He wondered what would have happened if they’d come to know that Yama was actually an Asura Martial Spirit.
“Since you are a Stable Taboo Martial Artist that means others won’t discriminate against you,” Oscar said with a smile, as people treat a Stable Taboo Martial Artist just like any other Normal Martial Artist.
“OK,” Ryan nodded his head with a smile.
“Please don’t hide important stuff from us!” Oscar said in a stern voice.
“I can understand your reason for hiding the fact you are a Taboo Martial Artist, but what about today? If I had not been in the Combat Arena at that time, you would have most likely died,” he continued sternly.
“I didn’t expect things to escalate to such an extent. I thought that the Elders of the Divine Martial Sect would be able to handle it,” Ryan replied, as he had been truly expecting that to happen – but things hadn’t gone according to his predictions.
“Don’t make excuses,” Oscar said, and Ryan could feel his grandfather’s anger increasing.
“Yes. I will always inform you from now onwards,” Ryan added quickly. He did not want to get his butt spanked.
“Grandfather, do Asura Dragons have any relation with Asuras?” Ryan asked, his only intention being to divert the topic by asking this question.
